System of marine steam-turbines.



.1. F. METTEN.

SYSTEM OF MARINE STEAM TURBINES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-9.19%. RENEWED MAR. 31.1913.

1,235,990. l-u-tenterlAug. 7,1917.

lwm EHSBS. I INVENTOR 4Z4 I W Wm? A TTORIVEVA:

UNITED STATES PATENT o IoE.

JOHN I. BETTER, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHAMP ck SONS SHIP & ENGINE BUILDING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF S'YIN'ANIL.

SYSTEM OFMARINE STEANL-TURBINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

Application filed September 9,- 1 15, Serial No. 49,652. Renewed March 31, 1917. Serial No. 159,024,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. METTEN, a, citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia 15 and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems of Marine Steam lurbines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification. This invention relates to a system of marine steam turbines for driving multiple screw ships at economical cruising speeds. The invention is especially applicable to war vessels which necessarily do most of their running at cruising Speeds, but must have revision for driving at full speed when esired. Steam turbines, driving proeller shafts directly are satisfactory at liigher speeds and powers, but if the vessel is run at cruising speeds below the designed maximum speed, with high speed and high power turbines, there is a material. reductionin eflioiency. This is due to the reduced blade speed at low powers which involves corresponding loss in hydraulic efficiency, and also to the drowning efi'ccton the low pressure blades at the exhaust end, which practically become inoperative It is the object of this invention to over- 80 come these disadvantages, and also to provide an improved combination of main and cruising units wherein at cruising speeds, but one-half of the condensing plant and pumps are required, instead of requiring use of the entire-condensing plant and pumps, as in previous systems By ,en abling the ship to, be driven at cruising speeds with only one-half the full con denser plantnud pumps in operation, a very 40 decided saving in steam is accomplishcd.

' According to the prcscntinvention, for a twin screw shaft installation I provide a 1 main unit-on each shaft in combination with I a:.cruising unit geared to one shaft and, at

'45 cruising speeds, exhausting into the main unit on the othershaft. Thus, at cruising speeds, the ship is propelled by -two shafts, one of which is driven by the geared cruising unit with the main unit on this, shaft revolving in vacuum, nnd the othcr shaft bein g driven ih rougluthc m a in unit by the stca m The high exhausted by tho-cruising unit.

pressure high speed cruising unit can thus operate {it u very high efficiency, and there i will be a complete expansion of the steam in this and the series connected main unit, At full powers, the geared cruising unit is simply disconnected from its propeller shaft by a clutch and both main units are then supplied by high pressure steam in the usual 60 manner. y In the aocompanyin drawings is shown an arrangement intcn ed for a twin scrcii vessel, but the invention is equally applies-n ble to four shafts. 1 and are the units directly connected to propeller shafts 3 and 4. These units may either be of the impuilso or reaction type and each consists of an ahead and an. astern portion contained. 11). the some casing and exhausting into to condensers 5, 6, respectively. To one of the shafts, as for example, shaft 3, is connected a. high speed cruising unit 7 through, reduc tion gear 8 and a quick connecting clutch 9. The unit 7 is preferably a high speed high pressure turbine, but any other high spelcd unit, such as a reciprocating engine, could be used in connection with the reduction gear The clutch 9 may be of the sliding jaw type, but is preferably of the hydraulic no friction type heretofore invented by me. When running at high speed, the clutch 9 is open and the cruising turbine 7 is inoper-- ative and idle, steam being supplied directly to the initial high prnssure'stnges of turas loine's 1 and 2 by pipes in parallel control-red by valves 24. At cruising speeds. when clutch 9 is closed, steam is supplied directly to cruising turbine 7 by a pipe controlled by valve 15,, valves 24 being closed. Under 9d these conditions, the turbine 1. will be driven idly, through the reduction gear 8 and. the clutch 9, and the exhnust steam from turbine 7 will pass by pipe 10 through valves 11 and. 14 to one or the other of inlets 12, 13 and turbine 2, depending upon the perticulnr cruising speed desired When the steam is admitted directly to turbine 2 through pipe 12 at one of the intermediate wheel stages, the speedwill be higher than where mu the steam is admitted to turbine throu h pipe 13 at the initial wheel Sta 5. he

. steam supply to cruising unit 7 wil be correspondingly varied so that the eeds of both shafts will be alike. The va we 14 is so=constructed as to have two positions and admit steam either through inlet 12 or inlet 13 as may be desired. 16 is the circulating pum for turbine 1, and 1.7 is the air pump, whic are shut down while cruis. 1g, turbine 13.4"

1 revolving idly in the vacuum produced by the air pump 27 belonging to turbine 2. 18

is a small pipe which connects the discharge sides of circulating pumps 16 and l9 to insure a slight circulation of water through the condenser when pump 16 is shut down. 20 is a cross connecting pipe connectin' the bottomsof condensers 5 and 6' for draining condenser 5 and also for maintaining a vacuum in condenser 5 in case the cross connection 22 should. be omitted. Prefer-- abl pipe 22 is,-provided forthispurpose ant is controlled by valve 23: also, there is a valve in pipe 18 for controlling the amount of circulating water passing from. pump 19 to condenser The pipe 22 is of suflicient size to pass the steam from turbine 1 to condenser 0 during light maneuvering when cruising turbine 7 is temporarily disengaged. At this time, 'the' throttle valves 24 are used to supply steam. direct to'turhines 1 and. 2 for forward running, and throttle ralves 25 for reverse running. By this arrangement of cross connected pipe 22, it will be seen that under certainconditions one pump and condenser, as 19 and 6, can

- be used alone. At this time the air pump 27 will also snflice to maintain the vacuum in'both condensers. In running at full power, the pumps 16 and 17 will he started and the plant then operated in the usual manner. v 7

By the arrangement of high speed-geared cruising unit on the one shaft'coinhiner'l' with the main unit on the other Shaft, the quantity .of steam passed through the latter may be doubled as compared with what would otherwise he thecase with the usual cruising arrangements wherein a high 'pres-. .sure turbine directly coupled on one shaft is connected into a. low pressureturbine directly coupled on. the other shaft. It will he understood that the size and. power of the cruising unit, as Well as the. particular ratio of gear reduction. will he proportioned aocorl'ling to therequirements of the particular installation to he made. hut in general,'it will be seen that at cruising speeds the steam will he so utilized in the 'greared unit andin the main unit; that both the power shafts will turn at the same numher of revolutions and thereby develop the same power, Such an. rriipgement will have the advantage of utilizing'thc full expansion of the steam. and also innot requiring so much steam to operate the auxiliaries, such as the circulating pump and ,llu"v airpu np. It has r-ulating pump can. Withoutincreased con main unit rm'mivin r the cxliaust stcarr| from sumption of power. talc. rarc-s-ol' both the the geared unit and also n'uiinl ain the vacuan: in the idlc main unit.

' duce approximately equal scribed without departing from the-scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I declare as new and desire to secure by. Letters Patent of the United States is 1. -In a marine pro 'iulslon.arrangement, a plurality of shafts, a full. power propelling unit on each shaft, means for supplyin power to saidv units for full, power, a high speed cruising unit geared to one of said shafts, and means for passing the exhaust from said high speed cruising unit to the full power unit on' the other shaft to propowers on said shafts for cruising speed. 1-

n a marine propulsion arrangement, a plurality of shafts, a full power propelling unit on each shaft, means for supplying full power to each unit, a high speed cruising unit connected by reduction gearing to one of said shafts, and means forjpassing the exhaust from said high'speed cruising unit to. the full power unit on the other shaft to produce a 'iproximately equal poware on said sh: ts for cruising speeds.

3. In a marine propulsion arrangement, a plurality of shafts, a full power propelling unit on each shaft, means for supplying power .to said units for full power, a high speed cruising unit gcaredfto one of said shafts, means for passing the exhaust from said high speed cruising unit to the 'full power unit on the other shaft to :produce approximately equal powers on said shaftsv for cruising spot-ad, and meansfor discpn-' no -ting said cruising unit and .its'gearing at full power,

4. in a marine propulsion arrangement, a plurality of shafts; a full power propelling unit and condenser plant for each shaft, a cruising unit connected toone of said shafts, means for passing the exhaust from said cruising unit through the full 'power unit and the condenser plant for the other-"shaft.

5. In amariue propulsion arrangement, a plurality of shafts, a full power propelling unit on'ca'ch shaft, a condenser plant for each unit, a. cruising unit connected to one of said shafts, means for passing the exhaust from said cruising unit through the full powcruuit onthe other shaft, and means for condensing the exhaust from said latter unit in one of said condenser plants when the other is idle. g

5. Vin a marine propulsion arrangement, a plurality otslntl't-s, a, full power 'iropelling and condensing unit for each" shaft, a cruising unit ronnm'rtcd toone oli said shafts, means for passing the cxl'iaustfrom said cruising unit through, the fullpower unit. on the other shalt, and a cross connection between the low pressure ends of said main units.

in a marine propulsion arrangement, a plurality of shafts, a full power propelling and condensingnnit for each shaft, a cruising unit connected to one of said shafts, means for passing the exhaust from said cruisingumt through the full power unit on the other shaft, and means for condensing the exhaust in one of said condensing units and for draining both when one condensing unit is shut down..

8. In a marine propulsion arrangement, a

plurality of shafts a full power ropelling and condensin unit for each sha t, a cruising unit geare by a reduction gear to one of said shafts, a quick connecting clutch be-' tween said reduction gear and said shaft, means for leading the exhaustof said cruising unit to the main unit on the other shaft, a plurality of inlets to said latter unit for varying the power, and a connection between the idle and the active condenser units.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, '30 in presence of two witnesses.

- JOHN F. METTEN.

\Vitnesses: i V

JOHN H, MOMABTEH ISAAO H. WRIGHT 

